Multiple Choice
Identify the
choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1.
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All of the following are parts of the compositional structure of Earth EXCEPT
the
a. | global ocean. | c. | core. | b. | mantle. | d. | crust. |
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2.
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The shape of Earth most closely resembles a(n)
a. | perfect sphere. | c. | oblate spheroid. | b. | approximate oval. | d. | perfect circle. |
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3.
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Anything that has mass and takes up space is known as
a. | protons. | c. | energy. | b. | newtons. | d. | matter. |
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4.
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Ecosystems respond to environmental change by
a. | revolving. | c. | returning to a balanced state. | b. | decomposing. | d. | dying out. |
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5.
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The carrying capacity of an ecosystem is
a. | the time it takes to complete a cycle in the ecosystem. | b. | the number of
organisms that are active in an ecosystem. | c. | the largest population that an ecosystem can
support at one time. | d. | the natural resources available at one time in
an ecosystem. |
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6.
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Because Earth’s interior is warmer than its surface layers, hot materials
move toward the surface in a process called
a. | energy balancing. | c. | energy transfer. | b. | convection. | d. | rotation. |
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7.
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What is an atom that has a different number of neutrons than other atoms of the
same element?
a. | ion | c. | isotope | b. | electron | d. | molecule |
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8.
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What are counted in an atom to determine mass number?
a. | neutrons | c. | protons and electrons | b. | protons and
neutrons | d. | electrons |
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9.
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What is the atomic number of an element?
a. | the number of protons and neutrons | c. | the number of
neutrons | b. | the number of valence electrons | d. | the number of
protons |
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10.
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Elements are arranged on the periodic table
a. | in order of molecular numbers. | c. | alphabetically. | b. | in order of atomic
numbers. | d. | randomly. |
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11.
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What forces hold together the atoms in molecules?
a. | chemical mixtures | c. | gravity fields | b. | magnetic fields | d. | chemical bonds |
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12.
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What describes how substances react to form new substances?
a. | chemical properties | c. | physical properties | b. | physical descriptions | d. | chemical bonds |
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13.
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What are used to balance chemical equations?
a. | chemical formulas | c. | coefficients | b. | exponents | d. | superscripts |
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14.
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The two most common elements in Earth’s crust are
a. | nitrogen and carbon. | c. | silicon and oxygen. | b. | carbon and oxygen. | d. | nitrogen and
oxygen. |
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15.
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What numbers are used to balance chemical equations?
a. | exponents | c. | subscripts | b. | imaginary numbers | d. | coefficients |
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16.
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What two elements must be present in a silicate?
a. | silicon and carbon | c. | silicon and quartz | b. | silicon and sodium | d. | silicon and
oxygen |
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17.
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A mineral is a natural solid that usually is
a. | inorganic, with characteristic physical properties. | b. | organic, with
uncharacteristic physical properties. | c. | organic, with characteristic physical
properties. | d. | inorganic, with uncharacteristic physical properties. |
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18.
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Density is the ratio of
a. | the volume of a substance to the mass of the substance. | b. | the mass of a
substance to the weight of the substance. | c. | the mass of a substance to the hardness of the
substance. | d. | the mass of a substance to the volume of the
substance. |
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19.
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Huge igneous rock structures have zones of weakness called
a. | layers. | c. | fractures. | b. | columns. | d. | joints. |
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20.
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Which of the following does NOT change the form of existing rock?
a. | tremendous pressure | c. | chemical processes | b. | extreme heat | d. | light |
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21.
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The name for this type of rock means “changed form.”
a. | igneous | c. | metamorphic | b. | sedimentary | d. | sandstone |
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22.
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The process by which different minerals melt at different temperatures is
called
a. | tempering. | c. | dissolving. | b. | partial melting. | d. | decaying. |
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23.
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Layers and beds of sedimentary rock are examples of
a. | sandstone. | c. | stratification. | b. | massive beds. | d. | sea beds. |
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24.
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What type of rock texture results when extreme pressure causes minerals in
metamorphic rock to realign, or when minerals separate out into dark and light bands?
a. | mafic | c. | felsic | b. | foliated | d. | nonfoliated |
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25.
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The chemical stability of a rock depends on the strength of chemical bonds
between
a. | layers of rock. | c. | atoms in the mineral. | b. | physical
characteristics. | d. | two
minerals. |
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26.
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What is the crack in the ocean floor through which magma rises?
a. | a ridge | c. | a rift | b. | a rip | d. | a rent |
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27.
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The Himalaya Mountains were formed in a collision at a
a. | divergent boundary. | c. | transform boundary. | b. | convergent boundary. | d. | fracture zone. |
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28.
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An example of a transform boundary is the
a. | San Andreas Fault in California. | b. | Nazca plate on the west coast of South
America. | c. | Eurasian plate at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. | d. | island arc of
Japan. |
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29.
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According to Wegener, what happened about 250 million years ago?
a. | The South America and Nazca plates collided. | b. | The supercontinent
began breaking into smaller continents. | c. | Magma rose to Earth’s surface and
solidified. | d. | The continents drifted to their present locations. |
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30.
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The theory that explains why and how continents move is called
a. | continental drift. | c. | plate tectonics. | b. | paleomagnetism. | d. | sea-floor
spreading. |
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31.
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Tectonic plates are blocks of
a. | magma. | c. | asthenosphere. | b. | magnetic rock. | d. | lithosphere. |
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32.
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Where do deep-ocean trenches form?
a. | in island arcs | c. | in fracture zones | b. | at convergent boundaries | d. | at transform
boundaries |
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33.
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Earthquakes generally occur at plate boundaries, where
a. | stress on rocks is greatest. | c. | stress on rocks is
low. | b. | the most rock is found. | d. | magnetic pull is greatest. |
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34.
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Which scale more accurately measures the magnitude of large earthquakes?
a. | modified Mercalli scale | c. | moment magnitude
scale | b. | Richter scale | d. | Mohs scale |
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35.
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If you are in a car during an earthquake, you should
a. | drive toward a bridge. | c. | get out and run. | b. | stop the car in a safe
place. | d. | park near a tall
building. |
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36.
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What are food, water, flashlights, and a portable radio needed for?
a. | measuring surface waves | c. | finding shadow
zones | b. | preparing for earthquakes | d. | predicting earthquakes |
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37.
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During a major earthquake, buildings
a. | always remain standing. | c. | may sway or
collapse. | b. | do not move. | d. | are never damaged. |
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38.
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Which of the following is true of earthquake prediction?
a. | It is unreliable. | c. | Scientists do not attempt it. | b. | It is
impossible. | d. | It is not
important. |
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39.
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Which of the following do scientists study in their efforts to forecast
earthquakes?
a. | seismic gaps, rock changes, foreshocks | b. | bird migration, animal behavior patterns, human
behavior patterns | c. | the solar system, air testing, rock
samples | d. | barometric pressure, rock alignment, prevailing winds |
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40.
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This area is both a major earthquake zone and volcano zone.
a. | Pacific Ring of Volcanoes | c. | Oceanic Ring of
Fire | b. | Pacific Ring of Fire | d. | Pacific Island Arc |
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41.
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Magma that is rich in feldspar and silica is called
a. | pyroclastic. | c. | composite. | b. | mafic. | d. | felsic. |
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42.
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Volcanic ash, dust, blocks, bombs, and lapilli are all
a. | felsic lava. | c. | mafic lava. | b. | pyroclastic materials. | d. | pahoehoe. |
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43.
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An area of volcanic activity far from a tectonic plate boundary is called
a(n)
a. | hot spot. | c. | island arc. | b. | cone. | d. | mantle plume. |
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44.
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The swift, warm current that flows northward along the east coast of the United
States is called the
a. | North Atlantic Current. | c. | North Equatorial
Current. | b. | West Wind Drift. | d. | Gulf Stream. |
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45.
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Which of the following have the effect of moving sediments on the ocean
floor?
a. | whitecaps | c. | swells | b. | breakers | d. | ripples |
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46.
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A large body of air throughout which temperature and moisture content are
similar is a(n)
a. | storm. | c. | wind belt. | b. | air mass. | d. | air pressure. |
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47.
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Continental polar, maritime polar, continental tropical, and maritime tropical
are types of
a. | air fronts. | c. | air masses. | b. | air systems. | d. | air flow. |
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48.
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A hurricane begins when warm, moist air rises rapidly and the moisture
condenses, releasing energy in the form of
a. | tropical heat. | c. | rising heat. | b. | latent heat. | d. | ionized heat. |
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49.
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What does radar use to determine the velocity and location of objects?
a. | radiosonde | c. | radio waves | b. | infrared light | d. | sonar |
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50.
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A pattern of meteorological symbols that represent the weather at a particular
observing station is a
a. | weather station. | c. | satellite image. | b. | station model. | d. | weather site. |
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